Article-working apparatus



I -1 I II ,I II E 3 She ecs-Sheet 1 June 24, 1958 R. E. LOVENDAHL ARTICLE-WORKING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 29, 1954 By [A s Shets-Sheet 2 Fild Oct. 29, 1954 I a MW ww June 24, 1958 Filed 001:. 29, 1954 R. E. LOVENDAHL ARTICLE-WORKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5y HAM ARTICLE-WORKING APPARATUS Roy E. Lovendahl, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York 7 Application October 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,685 7 Claims. c1 78--17) This invention relates to article-working apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for embossing relay armatures.

In the manufacture of U-shaped relay armatures, dowels are sometimes formed on the arms of the armatures and must be precisely located on the armature. It has been proposed to emboss dowel pins on the arms, but in the past it has been difiicult to precisely locate the arms so that dowel pins so embossed are precisely located on the arms.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for forming articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for embossing relay armatures to form pins thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide punching apparatus for precisely locating U-shaped relay armatures to form bosses or pins thereon by embossing.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the inven tion may include a pair of opposed pairs of dies for forming arm portions of an article, and centering means are provided for centering each arm portion individually relative to the dies.

An apparatus illustrating the invention more specifically may include a dial for carrying a U-shaped armature to a pair of opposed platens, of which the upper platen may be moved downwardly toward the lower platen to move the armature out of the plane of the die and against the lower die. The upper die carries a base-centering bracket to center the base relative to the die, and also carries an arm-centering bracket provided with spaced notches therein for engaging the arms of the armature to precisely locate the arms. Dies are mounted slidably in the arm-centering bracket for engaging the arms of the armature, and extruding pins are provided on the lower platen for pressing metal into the upper dies to form dowel pins on the arms of the armature which are precisely located on the arms.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of an apparatus forming a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an apparatus forming a specific embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along line 22 of Fig. l I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section taken along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2 with parts of the apparatus shown in different positions;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the apparatus;

Fig, 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 3; i

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 7--7 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of an article formed by the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown counterbores 39 slidable over embossing pins 40 secured -to the pins 26. The block 37 normally is urged to a posisembly 20 is in its open or retracted position, the dial 18 the arms 11.

therein an apparatus for forming pins 10 by embossing or extruding on arms 11 of a relay armature '12 having a base portion 13, and positions the pins 10 precisely on The armature 12 is placed in generally U-shaped openings 17 formed in a dial 18 which is advanced step-by-step by conventional means (not shown) to take each armature 12 to an embossing station 19 wherein a punch .or a movable die assembly 20 and a fixed lower die assembly'21 are positioned for forming the .rdOWBl pins 10. The armatures are supported as they approach and leave the die assemblies by an arcuate bottom 'plate 14, andarcuate rails 16 prevent movement radially outwardly of the armatures. Relieved portions 15 for clearance for elements of the die assemblies are provided in the dial. The die assembly 21 includes a stationary bed 'or platen 22 on which is mounted a plate 23 having bores 24 and counterbores 25 therein to mount embossing pins 26 rigidly thereon with the aid of spacers 27,28 and 29. Blocks 32, 33 and 34 are fastened rigidly to the plate 23.

A stripping and supporting block 37 has bores 38 and tion in which shoulders 43 thereon engage shoulders 44 of a plate 45 fixed to the plate 33,'and is urged continuously upwardly by springs (not shown), a shoulder 46 striking a shoulder 47 to limit upward movement of the stripping block 37 and the upper surface of the plate 34 limiting downward movement of the stripping block 37. The stripping block '37 also is provided with cylindrical upwardly projecting die portions 50 which serve to support the arms 11, and also serve to guide the pins 40. An ejecting plunger 5:1 is urged constantly upwardly by a spring 52. i p

The upper die assembly 20 is mounted on a ram 61 whichis reciprocated by suitable well known means (not shown) between a retracted position, in which the die assembly 20 is away from the die assembly 21, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and an operative position, in which the die assembly 20 is in operative engagement with the die assembly 21, as'illustrated in Fig. 2. When the die as- .may be rotated. 'When the'die assembly 20 is in its lower or operative position, a spring-pressed liner pin 64 having a tapered nose portion 65 enters a hole 60 in the dial 18 to precisely locate the dial relative to the die assemblies 20 and 21 and prevent movement of the dial. Simultaneously a spring-pressed plunger 66 having a cam surface '67 thereon engages the base'of the armature 12 to press it against a fixed'locatin'g block 68 forming a'portion of the lower die assembly 21.

The die assembly 21 alsoincludes an H-shaped locater, centering yoke or equalizer 71 provided with shoulders 72 mounted slidably in a close-fitting opening 73 and a mounting block 74 of the die assembly 20, the mounting block 74 being fastened rigidly to a mounting block 75 supported in a fixed position on a plate 76 fixed to the ram 61. The locater 71 normally is urged downwardly relative to the block 74 by a spring 81 mounted in a spring seat 82 formed in the block 75 until the shoulders 72 engage shoulders 83 formed on the block 74, and

may be pushed against the action of the spring 81 until the locate r .71 strikes the bottom face of the block 75. The locater 71 is provided with bores 85 which-are slidable over tubular dies 87 into which therdowel pins 10 provided with wedge-shaped notches or channels 101 3v for engaging opposite upper corners of the arms 11 and centering the arms 11 in the channels 101 as the locater 71 is pressed against the arms 11 prior to the extrusion of the .pins sorthat the arms 11 are precisely'located and centered relative to the dies 87 and the pins 40. The

locater 71 also is provided with a guide bore 102 slidable on ast'op pm 103 fixed to the plunger 96 and engages the ,dial 18 on downward movement of the die assembly to limit downward movement of the knockout pins 95.

A secondlocater or centering yoke 105 (Figs. 3 and 7) is provided with wedge or cam locating surfaces 106 formingtthe sides of a channel or notch 107 for engag ing'upper corners of the base portion 13 of the armature 12 to precisely locate the base portion of the armature relative to the die assemblies 20 and 21.' The locater 105 also is urged downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 3, by suitable means (not shown), downward movement of the locater 105 being limited by a shoulder 111 on the locater 105 and upward movement being limited by the top of an opening 112 in the block 75. The locater 105 centerszthe base portion of the armature and forces it againstgthe block 37 prior to the embossing, and the locaterv 71,precisely locates each arm 11 and presses it againstthe die -50 on the stripper block 37 while the inclined wedging face 67 of the plunger 66 urges the base portion 13 hard against the locating block 68 (Fig.

3), whereby the article is precisely located during the embossing operations thereon.

After the die assembly 20 has been moved into operable engagement with the die assembly 21 and the dowels 10 have been formed by extrusion, the die assembly 20 is retracted, and the stripper block 37 strips the armature 12 from the pins 40 and pushes the armature back up into the dial 18 for removal, after which the plunger 96 is urged by the spring 97, to keep, the plunger 96 from moving upwardly with the rest of the die assembly 20, whereby the pins 95 eject the dowels 10 and the arms 11 from the dies; the formed armature 12 is pushed out of the dial and an unformed armature 12 is brought to the die assemblies 20 and 21.

The above-described apparatus automatically feeds ,each armature 12 to the die assemblies, which precisely andindividually locate the base 13 and each arm 11 of the armature after pushing the armature out of the dial 18 prior to embossing the dowels 10, which, thus, are precisely located. The apparatus then pushes the armature back up into the dial and removes the armature.

- It is to be understood that the above-described ar- .rangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention; Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilledin the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit andscope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An embossing apparatus, which comprises a pair of embossing pins mounted in fixed positions, a pair of stripper sleeves mounted slidably on the pins, means for limiting sliding movement of the sleeves on the pins to such a position of the sleeves that the pins may extend a predetermined distance beyond the sleeves, a pair of tubular'dowel-forming dies, meansmounting the dies in alignment with the pins for moving the dies toward and "away from the pins a locater mounted slidably on the for pressing against the, baseof the article, and .a block limiting movement'of the base of the article by the pin.

2. Anembossing apparatus, which comprises a pair of embossing pins mounted in fixed positions, a pair of stripper sleeves mounted slidably on the pins, means for The dial, 18 then is indexed,

4 limiting sliding movement of the sleeves in one direction on the pins to such positions that the pins may extend a predetermined distance beyond the sleeves, a pair of tubular dowel-forming dies, means mounting the dies in alignment with the pins for moving the dies toward and away from the pins, a locater mounted slidably on the dies, said locater being provided with a pair of channels having sloping sides for centering arms of an article individually relative to the dies and the pins, a second locater provided with a pair of sloping sides for bracketing thebase of the article and centering the article relative to the dies and pins, a locator block in fixed position, and a plunger having a cam surface mounted for movement with the dies for engaging and forcing an article to move through the first and second locator against the locator block.

3. An embossing apparatus, which comprises a dial provided with an opening for holding a U-shaped relay armature and permitting face-wise movement of the armature through the opening, said dial also having relieved clearance portions around the article, a fixed bottom platen, a pair of pins fixed on and extending upwardly from the bottom platen, a stripper block provided with tubular supporting portions for supporting the pins mounted slidably on the pins and urged upwardly from the platen, said tubular portions having end portions for supporting'arms of a relay armature, an upper platen mounted above the level of the dial and movable toward and away from the lower platen, a pair of tubular dies mounted on the upper platen in alignment with the pins on the lower platen for pushing the armature from the dial and forming dowels onthe arms, and a locater mounted slidably on the dies, said locater being provided withnotches extending laterally of the dies for engaging the arms of the armature and locating each arm individually betweenone of the dies and the pin aligned therewith.

4. An embossing apparatus, whichcomprises a' horizontal dial provided with an opening for holding a blank and permitting face-wise movement of the blank through the opening, said dial also having relieved clearance portions around the, blank, a fixed bottom platen, a pin fixed on and extending upwardly from the bottom platen, a

porting the blank, an upper platen mounted above the level of the dial and movable toward and away from the lower platen, a tubular die mounted on the upper platen in alignment with the pin on the lower platen for pushing the blank out of the dial and forming a dowel on the blank when the upper platen moves the tubular die toward the lower platen, and a locater mounted slidably relative to the die, said locater being provided with a notch extending laterally of the die for engaging the blank and locating the blank between the die and the pin.

5. An embossing apparatus, which comprises a dial provided with an opening'for holding a U-shaped relay armature and permitting face-wise movement of the armature through the opening, said dial also having relieved clearance portions around the article, a fixed bottom platen, a pair of pins fixed on and extending upwardly from the bottomplaten, a stripper block mounted slidably on the pins and urged upwardly from the platen and provided with tubular supporting portions for laterally supporting pins and supporting the arms of the relay armature, an upper platen mounted above the level of the a dial and movable toward and away from "the lower platen,

one of the dies and the pin aligned therewith, a plurality of ejecting pins mounted slidably in the dies, and means operable when the upper platen is moved away from the lower platen for pushing the ejecting pins through the dies to eject dowels formed on the arms from the dies.

6. An embossing apparatus which comprises an embossing pin mounted in fixed position, a sleeve mounted slidably on the pin, means for urging the sleeve to extend above the pin to support an article, a platen mounted for movement toward and away from said sleeve and pin, a tubular die mounted on said platen in alignment with said pin, a spring-pressed plunger having a cam surface for engaging and laterally moving an article positioned on said sleeve, and a fixed block for limiting lateral movement of the article on the sleeve.

7. An embossing apparatus which comprises a carrier, said carrier having an opening extending to one edge thereof for accommodating a blank, a stationary bottom ing, a tubular die mounted on and extending from the upper platen in alignment with the embossing pin for pushing the blank out of the opening and against the stripper block, a locator block mounted on the lower platen and extending to confine the blank against lateral movement within the opening, and a spring-pressed plunger having a cam surface thereon mounted on the upper platen for engaging and holding a blank against the locator block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 987,144 Kuechrniester Mar. 21, 1911 1,064,339 Katziner June 10, 1913 1,279,851 Dunlap Sept. 24, 1918 1,598,836 Walsh Sept. 7, 1926 2,016,569 Zinser Oct. 8, 1935 2,296,136 Bechtel Sept. 15, 1942 2,533,914 Brandt Dec. 12, 1950 2,605,842 Horton Aug. 5, 1952 

